For too long, our schools have used a one-size-fits-all approach designed to make learning efficient, often at the expense of making it engaging and effective for all young people. This approach took root over a century ago, when schools borrowed ideas like standardization and structure from the factory system. It helped educate more students than ever before, but at a cost: every student was treated the same, regardless of their needs, strengths, or interests. Schools became places where rigid structures and policies batched young people of the same age together and engaged them in the same content through the same activities at the same pace. Today, the persistence of a one-size-fits-all approach means few students receive the level of support or challenge they need. Instead, the uniqueness of students is flattened, resulting in some being held back while others are left behind.
Instead of flattening, customization ensures learning flexes to fit every student. With customization, the focus, pace, setting, and sequence of learning, as well as the resources and supports provided, are adapted to ensure all learners have what they need. This supports learning and development in many ways. It fuels motivation by helping students experience success and the increased belief in their ability to achieve that comes from it. In addition, it helps ensure every student can direct their attention to learning, get the practice and feedback they need, and engage deeply in the cognitive work of learning without being overwhelmed. Truly relevant and rigorous learning requires at least some customization, as each student arrives with unique dreams, prior experiences, and developmental needs. When we design with each learner in mind, schools become spaces where differences are honored, progress is continuous, and every student has what they need to succeed. Customization acknowledges that there is no single pathway to success, especially in our increasingly complex and fast-changing world, bringing us closer to a system where all young people can thrive
When there is customization, learners experience…
- Variability in how, when, where, and from whom they learn based on what’s best for them.
- Content that adapts to their individual needs and interests.
- Adaptive and responsive scaffolds to support their success.
- Flexibility in when and how they can demonstrate mastery.
Examples
Competency-Based Education from Building 21 (Grades PK–12)
Building 21’s Competency-Based Education model replaces traditional time-based, age-based, and course-based structures with those that focus on readiness, growth, and demonstrations of learning through authentic performance-based assessments. In this model, students engage with problem- and project-based learning in studios that allow them to pursue their interests and passions while progressing at their own pace toward competencies and receiving personalized instruction, support, and feedback.
Da Vinci RISE High from Da Vinci Schools (Grades 9–12)
The Da Vinci RISE High model uses a responsive and holistic approach—including flexible scheduling, blended learning, credit recovery, and wraparound social services—to meet the unique needs of students navigating foster care, housing instability, and other circumstances that have disrupted their schooling. This hybrid learning model, enabled through a digital platform, provides students the flexibility to learn anywhere and ensures that they meet their academic goals while accommodating out-of-school responsibilities.
High-Impact Tutoring from Saga Education (Grades 6–12)
Saga’s High-Impact Tutoring model strives for increased persistence in math by leveraging adult–learner relationships and in-a-school-day, personalized tutoring sessions. During these daily sessions, highly trained tutors, called Fellows, meet with their tutees in small groups to provide personalized academic support and timely feedback, meeting the specific needs of every student.
Modern Classrooms Project (Grades PK–Higher Ed)
The Modern Classrooms Project empowers educators to meet every student’s needs through its blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional model. Leveraging teacher-created instructional videos, the model makes class content and materials available for students to access, complete, and submit from anywhere at any time, suiting their individual needs.
